Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/64

 be perfect,  go  sell  what  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor, and thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven,  and  come  follow me — they  go  away  sorrowful,"  like  the  young  man in  the  gospel  (Matt.  xix.  21.),  and  reject  the  Divine  admonition.   Examine  whether  or  not  you  be  one  of  these.

III. The third  class  consists  of  those  who,  with  a  generosity of  mind  and  steadiness  of  resolution,  attempt  to follow  Christ,  even  to  the  cross,"  through  honor  and  dishonor, through  infamy  and  good  fame." (2. Cor.  vi.  8.) With St.  Paul,  "  they  count  everything  as  dung  that  they may  gain  Christ." (Phil. iii.  8.)  Lastly,  they  endeavor to conform  their  actions  in  everything  to  His. Choose to which  of  these  classes  you  will  belong,  and  remember that your  glory  in  the  next  life  will  be  proportionate  to the  exactness  with  which  you  follow  Christ  in  this.

I. What  was  the  state  of  creation  before  the  coming  of Christ? A great  part  of  the  angels  had  fallen,  and  all mankind were  the  guilty  descendants  of  guilty  parents. The apostate  angels  were  banished  from  heaven,  and sent into  hell. All mankind  were  in  a  state  of  banishment, they  were  slaves  to  the  devil  and  enemies  to  God; and falling  from  one  sin  into  another,  they  exposed themselves to  undergo  all  those  pains  which  God  had reserved for  His  enemies. There were  no  possible  means of appeasing  the  justice  of  God;  for  no  creature  could make sufficient  atonement  for  original  sin.

II. The three  divine  persons  are  employed  in  consultation to  remedy  the  distresses  of  mankind. The first person required  satisfaction  for  the  offense  of  original